Rate My Professor Richard Webster

Richard Webster, professionally known as Wade Webster, serves as Assistant Professor and Extension Soybean Pathology Specialist in the Department of Plant Pathology at North Dakota State University. Originally from eastern Iowa, where he grew up on a corn and soybean farm, Webster earned a Bachelor of Science degree in crop science from Montana State University in 2017. He completed his Ph.D. in plant pathology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2022, with his dissertation focusing on modernizing integrated management practices for Sclerotinia stem rot of soybean. In December 2023, he joined NDSU Extension to address challenges in the soybean industry through research-driven solutions. As a member of the American Phytopathological Society since 2021, Webster leads an extension program targeting prevalent soybean diseases in North Dakota, including soybean cyst nematode, white mold, Phytophthora root and stem rot, frogeye leaf spot, and sudden death syndrome.

Webster's research specializations encompass soybean disease management, varietal resistance screening in collaboration with the NDSU Soybean Breeding program, evaluation of commercial foliar fungicides and seed treatments, exploration of biological control strategies, pathogen epidemiology, and predictive modeling using IPM approaches. Key publications include 'Investigating the role of soybean genetic resistance on the production of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum sclerotia' (Plant Disease, 2024, with Groves, Mueller, Renfroe-Becton, and Smith); 'Integration of soybean resistance levels into Sclerotinia sclerotiorum apothecial risk prediction models' (Plant Disease, 2023, with Mueller, Conley, Kabbage, and Smith); 'Identification of soybean check lines for evaluating genetic resistance to Sclerotinia stem rot' (Plant Disease, 2021, with Roth, Reed, McCaghey, Mueller, Chilvers, Groves, Kabbage, and Smith); and 'Integrated management of important soybean pathogens of the United States in changing climate' (Journal of Integrated Pest Management, 2020, with Roth, Mueller, Chilvers, Faske, Mathew, Bradley, Damicone, Kabbage, and Smith). His contributions extend to extension efforts such as the NDSU Soybean Symposium, crop pest identification schools, and soybean cyst nematode surveys, enhancing disease management for growers.